The leader of na, (RJ), disagreed with the president of the Senate, Davi Alcolumbre (União Brasil-AP), and defended this Thursday (4) the decision of the minister who shielded ministers from the (Supreme Federal Court).
For the PT member, the impeachment of ministers “cannot be converted into an instrument of intimidation, retaliation or political coercion against the Judiciary” and the Federal Supreme Court to undermine democracy.
“ADPF 1,259, therefore, does not constitute corporate self-protection, but restoration of constitutional limits to prevent cyclical majorities from subjecting constitutional jurisdiction to temporary political pressures”, he stated in a note.
According to Lindbergh, “authoritarianism in Brazil” changed his plans. “Before, the strategy was from the outside in: attacking the STF and the TSE publicly, delegitimizing ministers, discrediting elections, inciting crowds and culminating in the physical attack on January 8, an explicit attempt to intimidate and subjugate the court. Now, the tactic moves inwards, seeking to form a majority in the Senate to control the impeachment process, manipulate procedural requirements and subvert the balance between the Powers”, he stated.
Led by former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL), the right-wing aims to achieve a majority in the Senate in the 2026 election, as a way of putting pressure on the Supreme Court and gaining enough numbers to remove a minister. The plan has already been widely defended by Bolsonaro, who intends to use this majority to reverse his conviction and imprisonment.
The PT leader said that this pressure on the Judiciary has a similar script to that observed in other countries “where right-wing populism has captured the system”, such as Hungary, Poland and Turkey.
He also stated that the current Impeachment Law of 1950 predates Getúlio Vargas’ suicide, “after a process of political destabilization fueled by threats of impeachment.” This, he highlighted, “evidences how the irresponsible use of this institute can precipitate democratic ruptures.”
The PT leader’s speech contrasts with Alcolubre’s speech, who criticized Gilmar’s decision and demanded respect from the Senate. “This was the legislator’s choice and, regardless of whether we agree with it or not, it needs to be respected,” he said.
Opposition parliamentarians also want to approve a PEC (Proposed Amendment to the Constitution) to reverse the minister’s decision. Such a proposal has already been presented in the Senate, by senator Cleitinho Azevedo (Republicanos-MG), with support only from right-wing and center-right parliamentarians.
In the Chamber, the Novo party bench and deputy Nikolas Ferreira (PL-MG) suggested PECs with this objective, still without the necessary signatures to be filed.
It had minister Gilmar Mendes, one of those with the greatest dialogue with the political world, as its author. Mendes declared part of the 1950 Impeachment Law unconstitutional and determined that the power to request the impeachment of STF ministers is exclusive to the Attorney General of the Republic (PGR), a role currently held by Paulo Gonet.
The minister said that the rule encouraged complaints motivated by partisan political interests, without rigor and based on political disagreements or differences in interpretation of the court’s decisions.
According to the judge, only the head of the Union Public Ministry “has the capacity to assess, from a strictly legal perspective, the existence of concrete elements that justify the initiation of an impeachment procedure.”
Until then, any citizen could present a request for impeachment of a STF minister to the Senate. It is up to the President of the House to decide whether there is just cause to accept this request and prosecute the minister. Alcolumbre refused to do this, as did his predecessors.
Furthermore, the decision increases the quorum to approve the impeachment request. By law, the support of a simple majority of voters is required. Gilmar equated it to the removal of the President of the Republic, which requires the favorable vote of 2/3 of the Senate, equivalent to 54 of the 81 senators.
